Tips for PhDs
About . . .
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Tips for PhDs is a how-to community that helps us share our best practices as PhD students, new professors, and independent scholars. It's aimed at helping us overcome the biggest challenges in academia.
I think the biggest challenges in academia aren't about research or teaching. Anyone who was smart enough and motivated enough to get into a PhD program is smart enough and motivated enough to be successful as an academic.
Our biggest challenges aren't external, they are internal. They're inside us. They're our habits, perceptions, judgments, and outlook. They're also our skills dealing with time, planning, people, and disappointments. These are challenges that we can collectively help each other solve.
My name's Brian Wansink and I'm a "Pracademic." For 30 years I was a behavioral science professor at four wonderful schools, where my research focused on helping people change their habits to be healthier (such as eating better).
What I often loved most as a professor was being able to help new scholars get traction and succeed. That's why I started this website and it's what I hope this website grows to accomplish. I especially hope it serves those who are new to academia:
1. PhD students who feel abandoned or lost,
2. New professors who feel insecure or overwhelmed, and
3. Independent scholars who will always be academic-minded even if they're in a different career.
My heart goes out to all three of those groups because I've been in all three of those groups:
I think the biggest challenges in academia aren't about research or teaching. Anyone who was smart enough and motivated enough to get into a PhD program is smart enough and motivated enough to be successful as an academic.
Our biggest challenges aren't external, they are internal. They're inside us. They're our habits, perceptions, judgments, and outlook. They're also our skills dealing with time, planning, people, and disappointments. These are challenges that we can collectively help each other solve.
My name's Brian Wansink and I'm a "Pracademic." For 30 years I was a behavioral science professor at four wonderful schools, where my research focused on helping people change their habits to be healthier (such as eating better).
What I often loved most as a professor was being able to help new scholars get traction and succeed. That's why I started this website and it's what I hope this website grows to accomplish. I especially hope it serves those who are new to academia:
1. PhD students who feel abandoned or lost,
2. New professors who feel insecure or overwhelmed, and
3. Independent scholars who will always be academic-minded even if they're in a different career.
My heart goes out to all three of those groups because I've been in all three of those groups:
My "nerd cage" (Palo Alto, CA 1986)
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• I was a horrible PhD student, who tried as hard as I could from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM (the library hours my cubicle was open). Still, I struggled every semester to barely keep my head above water.
I lost my funding, lost my advisor, and lived in a mobile home trailer for two years. (But then a miracle occurred; I won a dissertation award and got hired by my dream school). 
My first grad course in my new suit (Hanover, NH 1990).
• I was a horrible assistant professor, who tried as hard as I could from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Still, I had my first 11 papers rejected, and I had the second-lowest teacher ratings at the school.
After being turned down for promotion at my dream school, the best job I could find was as a grader in the Netherlands and then as a visiting prof for 3 years. (But then another miracle occurred, and I got a tenured job at my second dream school). 
My 8:00 AM undergrad class. The people on the ground are just waking up (Ithaca, NY).
• Even as a senior professor, I had some dream-come-true experiences and unexpectedly cool adventures. But still I had some disasters like having 7% of my articles retracted and having to retire earlier than I wanted.
My Food and Brand Lab researchers (& 3 daughters) at the drive-in theater (Ithaca, NY).
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These sorts of experiences, including all of the "Wow, that didn't work out" experiences, have also been useful to the graduate students and new professors I've worked with. Most advisors and academic idols look like they've led a perfectly charmed academic life: perfect careers, perfect papers, and perfect promotions. Hopefully this website will show that there's a lot of hope for the rest of us.
Academics can be incredibly rewarding -- for you, your future students, and for those who will influenced by your research and other projects. I started this website because I hope the ideas and tools that we can collectively share here can help you speed down the road to more success, impact, and fun than you can imagine -- wherever you end up.
Let me know below what might help you most or if you have anything you'd like to share with the rest of the community.
Academics can be incredibly rewarding -- for you, your future students, and for those who will influenced by your research and other projects. I started this website because I hope the ideas and tools that we can collectively share here can help you speed down the road to more success, impact, and fun than you can imagine -- wherever you end up.
Let me know below what might help you most or if you have anything you'd like to share with the rest of the community.
